Improvement in piano-fortes



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THEODORE MARSCHALL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.v

Lamm Parent No. 88,970, dazed April 1a, 1869.

DEPROVELIENT IN PIANO-FORTES.

Thel Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

To all whom it may comem:

Be it known that I, THnoDoRn MARSCHALL, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Biano-Fortes; vand L do hereby declare the following to be a-fnll, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable those skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming part of this specification, iu which v drawing- Figure 1 represents a plan or top view of this invention.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal vertical section thereof.

Similar letters indicate corresponding parts.

This invention consists in the arrangement of a lip,

vor ange, projecting upwards from the ordinary metal frame of a piano-forte, said lip being perforated with holes for the strings,and forming the support for a plate, or bridge, against the edge .of lwhich the strings bear iu such a manner, that by said raised flange, the strength of the metal plate is inoreased,and a firm and rigid connection is effected between the plate or bridge and the wrest-plank, whereby the vibrations of the strings are arrested, and fully'transmitted to the sounding-board, and the volume of the tone of 'said strings is materially increased with little expense or labor.

A represents the wisst-plank of a piano-forte, to which is secured the metal frame B in the usual manner.

This metal frame is provided with a raised lip, or

flange, a, which is perforated witha series of holes, b, as

shown in ig.1 of the drawing, and to this raised ange is rigidly attached a plate, c, by preference made of soft metal, which is provided with a lip overlappingthe edge of the ange a, and heldin position by as eries of screws, as shown.

The bottom edge of this plate is thin and rounded, and it projects below the upper edges of the holes b, so that the strings, which pass from the tuning-pins e,

By the raised auge a, the stiiihe'ss and strength of the metal frame are materially increased, and this eiect is still further improved by the metal plate itself, which being rigidly attached to said ange, naturally increases its strength, and furthermore, said plate being rmly attached to the metal frame, is not liable to work-loose, and through the medium of the metal frame, it is brought in rigid connection with the wrest-plank, so

Vthat the vibrations of the strings are necessarily arrested by said plate, and fully transmitted to the sounding-board, whereby the volume and clearness of the tone are materially improved; and by the wooden bridge C, the strings are prevented from coming in direct contact with the metal frame, and all jarring of said strings is avoided. Both branches of each string pass through one and the same hole in the flange a of the metal frame.

I do not broadly claim supporting the strings of a piano-forte on the upper side, as I am aware of the inventions' of Henry Hulskamp and others, for the same object; but

What I do claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-L- The raised Bange a ou the metal frame B of a pianoforte, forming the support for and combined with the plate c, and provided with holes b for the strings, substantially as herein shown and described.

Witnesses: THEODORE MARSOHALL.

W. HAUFF, ERNEST F. KAsrnNHUBEB. 

